1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention is directed to a process for reducing the caloric content in natural coconut, and other fatty edible items such as the edible meats of nuts, the edible seeds of grain, and the edible seeds of fruits.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
The use of shredded coconut in candy is well known in the prior art. However, due to the high caloric content of coconut, it has been found unsuitable for use in candies having a caloric content of less than 100 calories/ounce (353 calories/100 grams). Since natural coconut contains approximately 196 calories/ounce (690 calories/100 grams) the use of natural coconut in a chocolate covered candy (assuming the covering constitutes approximately 25%), results in a caloric content of approximately 175 calories/ ounce (617 calories/100 grams).
It is generally known that processing of nut meats for the reduction of caloric content therein may be performed by applying high pressure and mild heat to thereby "roast" the fat from the nut meats. The aforesaid roasting method is only effective to reduce the caloric content to approximately 50% and is therefore not suitable for the treatment of coconut wherein a 80-100% reduction in caloric content is sought.
Other edible items containing fat also are useful in candy as well as other food products, but due to the high caloric content have been found unsuitable for use in low caloric content food products.